Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

BA_Harrison While not as brilliant or as quotable as This Is Spinal Tap, writer/actor/director Christopher Guest's character driven mockumentary Best In Show-which is centred on the world of dog shows-still has plenty of wonderful, well-observed moments of dry wit, and is one of those films that I believe can only improve with repeat viewings.The film owes much of its success to its superb cast: Guest plays Harlan Pepper, redneck owner of a prize bloodhound; Eugene Levy is superb as buck-toothed Gerry Fleck, husband to Terrier owner Cookie (Catherine O'Hara), who has been around the block a lot more times than her dog; Michael Hitchcock and Parker Posey are the neurotic yuppie owners of a pampered Weimaraner; Jennifer 'Stifler's Mom' Coolidge plays Sherri, rich owner of a champion poodle, while Jane Lynch plays her lesbian dog trainer; and Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins play a camp gay couple who are showing their Shih Tzu. Meanwhile, Fred Willard shines as the hilariously un-PC co-host of the dog show, whose every remark is a howler.7/10, but this rating may well go up in the future.

Anthony Iessi No dogs were harmed during the making of this film. In fact, never has there ever been a film where dogs stayed so stoic in the face of a ton of foolishness. Best in Show, while on the surface a Christopher Guest mockumentary about competitive dog owners and over-the-top prestigious dog pageants, makes a particular comment on humans in comparison to animals. The humans make stupid decisions, overreact at things that don't matter, argue, scream and fight tooth and claw to win the blue ribbon, while the Dogs sit peacefully, seemingly unaware, or totally aware and choosing to ignore it.Best in Show is a hilarious movie. The entire time, I had a big smile on my face. Guest has a knack for taking average situations and dissecting every peculiar aspect to poke fun of. He also knows the effortlessly unique qualities of middle Americans and how funny they actually are. Yes, these are seasoned improv comics portraying middle Americans, but in everyday life, you've seen these kind of people before. Take for instance, Harlan Pepper (played by Christopher Guest), a southerner who owns a fishing bait/tackle shop and talks incessantly about what he knows including every kind of nut in existence. Or, how about my personal favorite, the Flecks. Cookie Fleck (played by Catherine O'Hara) is the dutiful wife of Gerry Fleck, whose apparently slept with hundreds of men, quite literally, in fact, every man who comes in contact with her recognizes her. Her husband, Gerry Fleck (played by Eugene Levy) is the perpetual cuckold with two left feet, big bucked teeth and midwestern "aw-shucks" sensibility that everyone around him, especially his own wife, takes advantage of. Eugene Levy is the runaway stealer of the entire show. He's laugh-out-loud funny without even trying to be. He's the most natural improv comic in that he's entirely real in his delivery and knows how to react to awkward situation as we all would.Best in Show is less about the dog's competing, as it is about the people. Guest puts them on display for us to decide who receives the blue ribbon. But dog lovers won't be disenfranchised, as the film proudly displays it's affection for these perfect creatures and how they never leave the side of their owners no matter how flawed they might be.

Red-Barracuda This is Spinal Tap (1984) is in my humble opinion perhaps the greatest comedy film ever made. By making it so good, its creators simply set the bar so high, no one else – themselves included – have subsequently ever been capable of reaching its heights ever again. So it's not really much of a criticism in pointing out that Best in Show is not as good as Spinal Tap. It is a satire on the kind of people who participate in championship dog breeding. The events revolve around a gathering called the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. There isn't really too much of a plot-line here, it's very much a character-driven comedy. It works because the actors in the ensemble cast are all adept at improvised comedy, so it's a film full of little moments rather than a major story arc.Spinal Tap's Christopher Guest directs as well as acts in this one. He certainly has a feel for the mockumentary genre and has contributed to many of the best ones out there. I would probably describe Best in Show as amusing rather than hilarious though. There are a few laugh-out-loud funny moments though, such as the scene revealing the man with two left feet; while virtually every line uttered by the TV commentator played by the excellent Fred Willard is comedy gold. Truthfully, mixed in with the best material are some more strained jokes. However, as a whole, it works pretty well and the talented cast elevate the material when it falters on occasion. All-in-all, a solidly enjoyable movie.

sofaqueen The world of dog shows is ripe for the picking, when it comes to mocking your subject and the characters that inhabit it's rings. But that is not really what Christopher Guest has ever done.I watched this to remind myself what I love about this style of film. The characters develop naturally, by shedding layers of pretense when they "don't know we are watching" and suddenly pulling themselves together in a vain attempt to convince the viewer that we just caught them at a bad moment. It's a brilliant way to show us the lives of people on a mission. When you allow yourself to forget that you are watching a movie, and plunge into the documentation of these people's lives, you experience the sheer joy of being in on the joke, through the eyes of the camera crew. The behind the scenes workers who toil away on big budget films, and get to see the reality behind the surreal world of personas and personalities. Guest takes us deep into the lives of the ordinary person, who is trying to live an extraordinary life. This time, they do it through the dogs they own, or show.They have dreams, and delusions, but the one thing you feel with Guest, that I appreciate now more than ever, is that he genuinely enjoys the human condition. He likes people. He cares about his audience, and he is in on the joke with us. We are not the butt of the joke, and we are never insulted for loving Dog Shows, Community Theater, or even the Rock Stars in a giant arena. Everybody loves a show, or to be a part of the show. NOT everybody gets to be a big star. To be the winner. To be noticed for what they feel is their unique gift or talent. Rather than exploit that, and "mock" it in a cruel and unfunny fashion, Guest reminds us that within our little circle, and in our own ways, we can all feel like stars. And it nobody has to get hurt in the process. I watched this film, in part, to recover from what I felt was an abysmal failure to make a Mockumentary style film about writers. Authors Anonymous. It fails where Guest shines. There are people acting their hearts out in old citrus warehouses, and others are packing up their RV's to head out to another dog show. These life stories, and their sometimes absurd details, make for hopeful films that salute the human spirit. The spirit of competition is a theme Guest tackles with grace, and a divine objective "everyone can be a star" sensibility that pays homage to our desire to feel special, and rewards it at times, in the most delightful fashion. The underdog. That is what he brings us time and again, in new forms. This time, with actual dogs in the mix! Mock umentary should mean "mocking the style of the documentary film" Not mocking the people who are the subject of the film Even when the film is about insufferable boobs. We learn enough about them to begin to understand what makes them tick, what holds them together, and what causes them to come unglued. We end up caring. Dog Shows are silly, but the people are far more complex. Dog shows are filled with pretentious snobs, in "real life" Easy prey. Not so easy to make a movie that works, much less can make us root for these people on any level, but he did it again. And is it ever fun to watch.